Not Her Fault
by cherylltan
Summary: Ghouls. They have always been looked down upon. Aloysia never liked it. Since young, she had been hated. She thought she was the only one until she met Anteiku. She was relieved. However, she soon had to leave. She regretted her actions. She wished that no one would be like her. However, she met someone like her, Kaneki, whom she helps to reverse his fate. OC x Kaneki (?)
1. Runaway

It was not her choice. Why would she do such a thing? All she wanted was to be human. To be able to eat normally and not crave for flesh. Yet, no one seemed to understand her plight. They continued to detest her, torment her. It was like her existence was a sin.

Parents. What parents? They were like every other person, screaming hateful words at her. They basically disowned her. Left her in the darkness of the attic. She was scared. She was afraid of the darkness. She felt lonely. The hollow pit in her stomach only got deeper. She felt that the loneliness could swallow her whole. And no one would have bothered.

She soon passed her seventh birthday alone. Still in the attic. She was growing hungry. She had missed many months without flesh. She hence began to eat herself. It was not as crazy as it may sound. She only bit the required amount for her to survive another two months. After all, she could regenerate. After all, she was a ghoul.

Months passed from January to June like it always does. She started to grow restless. Being a seven year old, she was a dreamer. She wanted to leave the attic and see the world despite knowing about the consequences. Thirty strokes of the whip. It echoed feverishly in her mind. Thirty strokes. She had always feared the whip. Young flesh was naturally tender. Even for ghouls. It hurt. Really bad. She decided to escape. There were no windows in the attic, which made fleeing a difficult task. In addition, she did not want to let her beloved brother know about her disappearance but she knew that he was secretly rooting for her.

She bit herself in her hand, tearing out a small bit of flesh. That gave her a surge of strength. Her eyes turned dark and her pupils red. Cracks formed from her eyes down to her cheeks. She was going to leave the attic no matter what. Like a gush of wind, her blood red kagume burst out from her lower back. Due to the lack of rc cells, there was only two tails swishing about behind her. She lowered her stance, her eyes fixated on the roof. Night had fallen and she should not be noticed. Her tails shot out from behind her and a quick stab opened a small hole, big enough for her to exit through. She squatted down, ready to leap upwards with the assistance of her kagume but a small voice stopped her.

"Sister?"

She toppled onto the floor. Anthony! She spun around to see the child's face at the trapdoor. Silence fell on them both as they maintained eye contact for a long five minutes. Crickets chirped wildly outside and a few dogs barked at a distance. The child lowered his gaze.

"I'll miss you."

His words struck her. No one said such a statement before. Tear began to flow freely from her eyes and she replied hoarsely,

"Thank you."

And she left. Her brother looked at the empty space of where she was for a few seconds before quietly closing the trapdoor. She heard the soft click of the trapdoor as she sat on the roof. Her gaze darted back to the attic for a bit but turned away soon after. The streets were awfully silent, she noticed. She frowned, tucking her kagume under her. She could not afford others seeing that she was a ghoul. Sharpening her vision, she glanced around. A 24 hours coffee shop caught her eye. Anteiku. Coffee reminded her of her hunger. She swiftly stood up, rattling a few of the roof tiles. Her eyes widened. Afraid of waking anyone, she sped off, into the night.

She had withdrawn her tail and returned to the exterior of a normal human. Which meant that her eyes reverted to their usual appearance, no cracks or dark red pupils. Now, she looked like a young girl in a bloodstained ocean blue dress that happens to be a little small for her. Barefooted and empty stomached, she was desperate for flesh. Without thinking, she pushed open the heavy door.

"Welcome!" a wise voice greeted her. "Oh dear. What happened to you? Poor soul!"

Her hazel eyes immediately went up to meet the calm and steady gaze of a fairly old man whom she estimated to be in his fifties with a few wrinkles on his forehead and a couple laugh lines. She then sensed a ghoul – no, a few ghouls near her. Feeling threatened, she hesitantly retreated a few steps.

"Don't worry! We will do no harm to you!" he smiled.

He was a ghoul. She could smell it. Her kagume instantaneously slipped out from behind her and pointed intimidatingly at him. Her currently darkened eyes glowered cautiously, observing his every movement. He chuckled, making her tense up.

"You're really something! Very few ghouls have such marvelous senses!" he praised, causing her to lower into an attack stance. "And rather experienced in battle I perceive. You're very mature for your age."

"There are more than five ghouls here. Are you cannibals or those average ghouls that eat human flesh?" she murmured, taking a shaky breath.

"We are part of the Anteiku. We don't kill. Yet, we eat humans. Do not worry child. You're fortunate that you've found us," the old man went back to cleaning the mugs with a white washcloth. "We help our own kind."

"Can I trust you?" she asked, relaxing from her earlier stance. Her tails were no longer stiff and erect but now coolly swishing behind her like a cat comfortably lounging around. She was still young, not well aware about the dangers of adults. Trusting was something children have as part of their nature. She was no different.

"Of course," he smiled, looking at her once more. "We'll become a family. You can live here. There is someone of about your age as well. Ah! Speak of the devil."

Indeed, he was right. A ghoul was approaching from the door behind the man. A small girl with short purple-blue hair with bangs covering her right eye. Her left eye, a brilliant shade of violet, wide-eyed and frightened, peeked out from the gap.

"Touka, this is our new member," the man introduced her. Turning to her, he asked, "What's your name, young one?" She shook her head. She was never given a proper name. He blinked in understanding. "Is Aloysia good for you?" She nodded her head. Aloysia was a nice name. "Touka, this is Aloysia. Aloysia, this is Touka. Do place your past behind you, Aloysia. This is where your new life will start."

Aloysia smiled in relief. No more torture, no condemnation. She was finally an equal. Her lips trembled as she murmured a soft 'thank you' before bursting into tears of joy. She was finally free.


	2. Caught

It was dark, so dark. She could not see a thing. It was like in the attic. Or was she in the attic the entire time? Was all of that a dream? A false sense of hope? She felt her resolve crumble. She had never left this gloomy place. She never met the people from 'Anteiku'. She never had a name. It was all a dream. She wailed piteously. Why? She wanted a new life! Why could she not live like an average person? Why can't she eat normal food? Why? She then remembered about the people living below. If they heard her sniffling, they would most definitely come up to beat her up. She held her breath in a desperate attempt to silence her hiccups. She had to stop crying.

"Aloysia? Aloysia!"

She shook her head sadly. There was no way such wonderful things would happen in this dull world. Her dreaming mind was playing with her again, giving her fake optimism. There was no point. No way out of here. She would continue living in here until she dies. That was the conviction for a ghoul.

"Aloysia! It's me, Touka!"

Touka? She raised her head. Touka? Suddenly, something pushed gently against her shoulder.

"Aloysia?"

"Hm? What?" she blinked open her eyes, squinting in the light. She then realized she was sleeping on a soft mattress. A small smile of relief crept onto her delicate features.

"You were all weepy," Touka told her. "Aloysia?" Touka said her name again, which lead to her crying again.

"I, I am so, so relived…" Aloysia cried. "I thought… this was all a dream… I…" she wept.

Touka's eye flashed with anger. Who haunted Aloysia and left her in this state? Touka pulled Aloysia into a tight hug.

"Don't worry. This is real. All real. And it will stay this way. I will make sure that it would," Touka assured Aloysia. Aloysia nodded.

"Welcome to Anteiku!"

Aloysia and Touka sat at a corner table watching the waitress greet the customers warmly as they entered. The entire café was full of ghouls but a few humans were also among them, oblivious that humans did not run the café. Ghouls were able to drink coffee and that was about the only human foods that they could take. Ghoul investigators were also coming in rather often although the 20th ward was where the least ghoul happenings took place. Imagine the number of ghoul investigators in the 13th ward.

Ghoul investigators were also called 'doves' as Aloysia was informed. They usually bring quinques wherever they went and the ways to recognize them from the crowd was their large suitcases used to keep quinques, their trademark trench coats and their habit to travel in pairs. Aloysia eyed the two men sharing a table opposite them in matching beige coats. Their rectangular metal bags rested on the floor between their legs as if they were too precious to lose. Of course they were precious. Getting a kakuhou from a ghoul was never easy.

"Aloysia?" Touka spoke, gaining Aloysia's attention. Touka blushed a little from embarrassment. "I kinda have forgotten your birthday."

"No, its fine," Aloysia laughed. "Mine is on the 10th of January. And I'm ten years old if you have forgotten that as well."

"I'm not that forgetful!" Touka retorted. "I know that you have been with us for three years so far and that I am the same age as you makes you ten!"

Aloysia shrugged. "Well, you could forget which room I live in, why not my age?" Aloysia stated, earning a cold 'shut up' from Touka. Comfortable silence fell on both of them and Aloysia continued people watching. Just then, both of the ghoul investigators abruptly got up from their seats and made their way towards them. Aloysia glanced away causally and took another sip from her coffee before purposefully bumping her mug into Touka's fingers. Touka looked up at her but soon realized the ghoul investigators approaching them.

"Good day, younglings," one of the investigators tipped his hat in greeting. Both Touka and Aloysia simultaneously gazed up at both of the slightly intimidating men.

"Hello!" Aloysia smiled brightly and as innocently as she could. She was a brilliant actress. "Funny that you guys approached us, we hardly ever get noticed!"

"You're regulars here?" he raised an eyebrow and Aloysia nodded, stating that they were familiar with the owner. "Then, do you see any odd people around?"

"A few here and there. Like pickpockets," Aloysia shrugged naturally.

The man sighed, ruffling his large hand through his messy dirty blonde hair which was black at the roots. It was obviously dyed. The other man, slightly smaller in stature, pulled out his ID from his coat pocket.

"We're ghoul investigators," he explained. "I bet you know what ghouls are." Aloysia and Touka gestured that they knew. "We want your help."

"Really?" Aloysia exclaimed excitedly. "How?"

"Ghouls can't eat human food. I believe you know that. However, they only able drink coffee and eat human flesh," the shorter guy stated. "We were informed that there were a number of ghouls in this café. And since both of you are regulars, we were hoping that you knew something about them."

"That is true," Aloysia piped up suddenly, shocking Touka into glancing at her. There was a possibility that she might reveal their secret. "I thought I saw a man eating a few fingers last week. He was sitting at that table," she pointed to the table next to theirs.

"Do you still remember his face?" the blonde questioned.

"No…" Aloysia murmured. "But you do know that they ask for your name or part of it when you order so that they could call for you later? His name or part of it was Haku. He had long black hair and a beard. I wanted to report but I was afraid he knew and attack me. Don't tell anyone about me, okay?" she added in a whisper. The ghoul investigators nodded solemnly and bided their farewell.

"That was fake," Touka muttered the moment when the pair was out of earshot.

"Of course it was. That's all about acting!" Aloysia replied hotly. "They actually suspected we were ghouls but the guy's ID showed that they were only third class investigators. They're gullible and they would never think that a ghoul would reveal another ghoul's whereabouts."

"So you based your lies on that?" Touka raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. If they were first class investigators, I would have needed a far more complex story to entertain them!"

"True…" Touka murmured in agreement.

Just then, the manager called. "Touka! Aloysia! We're running low on coffee beans! Can you go to the back and get some?"

"Ah! Yes! Coming!" Aloysia pulled Touka out from her seat and dragged her to the back of the shop. They made their way through the corridor and opened a pale blue door into a room full of coffee bean sacks. Touka picked up 1kg bag of them and Aloysia did the same. As they were dragging them out of the store, the same two men stood, blocking their path.

"Um," Aloysia began innocently. "Please make way, we have to pass these to the manager."

"Come with me," one of them said sternly. Aloysia and Touka shared glances of bewilderment and fear but uttered nothing. They followed obediently behind the investigators to the alley.

"Tell the truth," the blonde commanded. Aloysia felt as though she was like a young child scolded for a stupid lie.

"What do you mean?" Aloysia replied curiously, doing her best to remain composed.

"You two are ghouls, isn't it?" the blonde continued.

Aloysia burst out laughing. "What? Ghouls? Are you ridiculous? Those filthy creatures? Never! Why should I? They are such low –" she was interrupted by the smaller man.

"Cut the crap! We've been observing you two! At least one of you are ghouls!" he shouted.

"W-what?" Touka squeaked. "It can't be! You must have got it wrong! Aloysia and I never have been ghouls!"

"It's okay Touka," Aloysia brushed her bangs from her face. With a creepy smile, she stared at the investigators with darkened eyes as cracks formed across her face. "I'm the ghoul and you didn't know," she sang and her kagume swept out from behind her.

"Four limbs? I never seen one with four limbs…" the blonde murmured, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Aloysia!" Touka cried. "You can't!"

"Girl! Come here! The ghoul is dangerous!" the smaller investigator had his quinque in one hand and the other extended out to Touka. Touka did not budge. She did not want to abandon her friend. Aloysia stared coldly at her for a moment before kicking her hard on the back with her foot. Touka stumbled forward into the man's arms.

"Aloysia!" she wailed. Aloysia gave her a warning look not to release her kagume as well. Touka noticed then quietened, hoping Aloysia knew what she was doing. The blonde was on the phone, whispering feverishly into the device, perhaps calling for support.

"You need assistance fighting a ten year old? Don't be ridiculous," Aloysia laughed and one of the tails slashed at the man's hand, making him drop the phone. However, he did not exactly drop the phone. He lost a hand. The man shrieked in agony and thrashed on the ground. His partner stared at him in wide-eyed surprise. He stayed rooted on the spot, his grip still tight round Touka.

At that moment, two other ghoul investigators ran out from both sides of the alley. Aloysia narrowed her eyes. A few seconds after, her kagume shot wildly through the air, aiming the other two investigator's faces. They were experienced. Both of them dodged the attacks well but as they got closer, one was stabbed in the stomach. He basically vomited blood before falling limp on her kagume. Disgusting. Aloysia swung him into a wall and dislodged her kagume.

"Kenji!" the other investigator yelled. He then swung his quinque at Aloysia. His quinque was rather simple, resembling a bendable double-edged sword. One of her tails were cut but it grew back near instantaneously. "Huh, for a young'un like you, you're not bad," the investigator huffed. "What's your name?"

"Aloysia," she replied monotonously, using her kagume to lift herself out of reach from his quinque.

"Randall," he returned, swinging his quinque once more. "And I'll be the person to lock you in prison!" Aloysia smiled knowingly and wrapped her kagume around Randall's torso.

"You were wide open," Aloysia giggled. "Next time, swing smaller strokes. Saves energy and time to recover. Unless you're hundred per cent sure you would hit the target of course," she advised. "I –" A sharp dagger stabbed her in the back of her neck. Aloysia instantaneously fell to the ground. She had been complacent. Naturally, there would be other ghoul investigators about.

"You're rather dangerous for a kid like yourself," she heard as she fell. "You deserve the SS ranking. However, it is against the law to kill young ghouls like you. You'll just have to land up in a cell. Sadly. That sort of kagume is indeed rare. One in a thousand ghouls have that sort and one in a hundred of that thousand ghouls have them in fours."

"Aloysia!" Touka screamed, struggling in the small man's grip.

"Young girl," the same voice spoke. "You don't deserve a friend that keep secrets from you. Why so loyal? After all, ghouls are just filthy, low-lying creatures that don't deserve living."


	3. Ghoul Detention Centre

The loud clang of metal woke her up. Aloysia looked around. Bloodstained walls, bloodstained floors, a heavy metal door without a window and chains all around. Aloysia then tried to move her head. She couldn't. Another clang of metal echoed the small room. When her groggy mind was finally pieced together, she realized that she was chained and muzzled like a dog to a pole. In this case, she was chained to the walls of the room. A tight metal collar was round her neck and connected to all the four walls. Her wrists and ankles were in the same state. A barred metal mouth covering was strapped on firmly and a metal bit held her tongue in place. She then tried to at least twitch her ankle. Pain shot through her and she did a silent yowl. She glanced down and noticed the back of her ankles were pieced and the hoop was attached to a heavy weight.

"Looks like you woke up," a rough voice sounded from outside. Aloysia recognized it immediately.

"Randall? Coming for your revenge?" she scoffed, haughtily, trying her best to ignore the pain in her legs.

"Nope, I'm here to watch you suffer. Those ankle thingies… they're hurting aren't they? They're especially made for SS rank and above," he smiled, closing the door behind him.

"So that man wasn't joking about putting me is the SS rank huh," Aloysia smiled bitterly. "I'm honored."

"You should be," Randall grunted, delicately hugging his torso. "You really did a number on me."

"Be grateful I didn't kill you. Neither did I kill your partner, Kenji," Aloysia retorted, her pronunciation limited by the gag piece.

"How did you know he was still alive?" Randall questioned folding his arms in front of Aloysia.

"I can smell him," she muttered. "All humans stink."

"You have a good mouth there," another officer entered the cell, carry a baggage which Aloysia deemed to be a quinque.

"That quinque… my death sentence?" Aloysia asked curiously but felt a little fearful that it really was.

"Nope," the same officer replied. "Sadly. I'm leaving for another ward. And I think that mouth gag should really be tightened," he added as he drew near Aloysia. His hands fumbled with the clasp and fastened it much tighter than it was before, making Aloysia choke and vomit what seemed to be water.

"You've got an empty stomach there," Randall cringed before walking out.

"Relax," the remaining officer murmured, gently patting Aloysia on the head. "We are not allowed to give you a death sentence until your turn eighteen and we aren't allowed to give you more pain than you deserve. You're perfectly safe under the law at the moment."

Aloysia glared at him as he walked out whilst he struggled to regain composure. The gag felt agonizingly tight around her head like it was crushing her skull. She had to find a way out of here. Remembering about her kagume, she attempted to move it but jolts of pain scored up her back. Her face contorted in anguish and she bit down hard on her tongue to stop her from screaming. Blood soon oozed out from the corners of her mouth as her eyes darted to see each of her tails clamped down hard with multiple of rods inserted into the tail and chained against the walls. Although she had enough strength in each tail to pull it from the wall, the pain was tremendous.

"Someone… help me…" she whimpered as tears slid down her cheeks.

"But we have to save her!" Touka cried. "She needs us! You know what torture the ghouls go through in the detention center!"

"She choose to be locked up to protect you. Her pride would most definitely be hurt if we go and save her. It is up to her to save herself," Yoshimura replied gravely and closed his door on Touka.

Steaming with rage and hopelessness, Touka stormed off into her room which was opposite Aloysia's. Before closing the door, Touka stared despairingly at the room at the other side of the hall. The door was nothing special besides the carved in letter 'A' in cursive on the front. Aloysia was the one that craved it in last year, claiming that she was bored. Letting out a long sigh, Touka slid down the door and lay in a collapsed heap on the floor. Silent tears glistened as they rolled down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Aloysia. I'm sorry!"


	4. Escape

"Wake up you idiot! Its morning!" An officer slammed open the door to her cell.

Aloysia never slept. The throbbing was too much for her to sleep. Her kagume was screaming to be released and the wounds at her ankles bleed continuously until blood was flowing out of the doors to the chamber. Her lifeless red eyes stared transparently at the ground without the energy to lift to look up at the officer.

"Look at me!" the officer barked, roughly grabbing her face and pulling her up. She winced. The movement caused a pull at all of the wounds. "How rude! Lowly ghouls like you should not even wince at us humans! Know your place! Ghoul!" he spat and shoving her face down. Pain ran up her spine again, making her grit her teeth in a desperate attempt to mute the scream that was fighting its way up her throat. The officer took out a large wrench and struck her head hard. Blood seeped out and ran down her long creamy brown hair, turning a long streak of it into red.

Her eyes were fully open in shock and pain. It had been three years since she experienced this sort of treatment. It was just like being stuck in the attic again. The officer did another blow to her forearm, making her cry out in agony. Like the sound of a soda can being opened before crushing the exterior, her right arm bent out of shape and white bone jutted out from the skin near her elbow. The officer began to laugh in face of her anguish and kicked her in the gut the final time before exiting the cell with a loud bang of the door.

Days like that were common but there were a lot worse days where the same officer would first stab her in the center of her forehead with a syringe before pull out a few of molars from her mouth with the same wrench and a few fingers or toes. Aloysia never got used to the pain although it did not feel as bad when she knew what was coming. Her hair had gone white long ago due to the stress she went through. It went on for another five years and she felt that it was enough. She was getting annoyed. She evaded all eye contact and refused to react to the torture she was given. There was no way the pathetic officer was going to have what he wanted.

"Come one! Cry already!" the mad officer screamed as he forcefully took one of her tails and tugged it hard. Previously it would have hurt her and having it pulled for fifteen minutes would have driven her insane. However, all pain had been dulled by the anger bubbling within her. She disliked it. When were ghouls inferior to humans? Ghouls were born with abilities humans never had! Then why were they put in the mercy of humans? That thought alone was ridiculous.

"Never mind," he muttered in irritation and left her tail alone. "Your death sentence is two years away. Your birthday just passed isn't it?" he lowered his face to her eye level. "Happy second last birthday to you then. After all, you will never get to celebrate your eighteenth birthday. You know, all the investigators back at CCG are fighting to have your kagume as their quinque? Don't you know how rare your's is? Huh?" he half-shouted in her ear before lowering into a hushed but menacing whisper, "Although all ghouls have their personalized kagumes, your sort appears in only ten per thousand and only one per ten has four of it. Usually it is only two. You're one special one," he emphasized the 'special'.

She did not really hear what he just said but one phrase rang in her head. Death sentence. When did humans have the right to kill ghouls? When did those ghouls allow humans to do that to them? Intolerable!

"So? Anything to say? Huh?" the man leaned close to her mouth to hear her reply.

That did it. She was furious. Fueled by fury, she managed to snap the metal gag with her jaw and she sank her mouth into the man's eye. The man shrieked and thrashed piteously under her bite. She ripped off his eye and a little cheek skin and chewed on it as she yanked her tails from the walls. After having two tails supporting her weight and the other two snapping off the other chains which bound her to the cell, she advanced swiftly towards the officer whom was crawling to the exit. She grabbed him by the leg and dragged him back in. She swallowed and took a large bite into the man's neck, chocking him until his fingers have a final twitch and he was dead. She wiped her mouth. It had been a long while since her last meal. Her cold eyes glared at the remains of the man before moving out of the cell with his head rolling out behind her. The odd thing was that there was no alarms. Only permanent guards walking along the narrow corridor.

"Freeze!" one shouted. Like that would work in this world. Her kagume caught him by the waist and threw him into the pit in the center of all the building. Just then, loud clicking of rifles echoed through the building. Aloysia's emotionless eyes stared up at the multitude of barrels aimed at her.

"A2641! Return to your cell immediately! I repeat, A2641! Return to your cell immediately!" an officer shouted. Aloysia did not respond. She could not be bothered. However, facing that many guns was a challenge. She had to get stronger if she were to get humans to fear ghouls. She had to.

'Did you know? There's this old wives' tale that if a ghoul eats its own kind, it would have an extra form of kagume?' a lady's voice reverberated in her mind and the image of the both women at either side of the coffee table giggled. They were the regulars at the café. It might be true. Aloysia frowned. However, cannibalism was indeed rather ruthless. Her eyes flickered to the other cells. Sacrifice was needed to raise the ghoul's name. It would be worth it.

Aloysia darted away from the edge and bashed open one of the cell doors. An old man was in that said cell, his eyes the side of tennis balls upon realizing that she wasn't an officer but a ghoul. A small smile crept up his face but the corners of this mouth dropped to a straight line when he noticed the look in her eyes. He evaded her gaze and looked at the concrete floor.

"You came to eat me, right? Go ahead. I won't fight. But make sure you make a name for us in this society. Become stronger, young one. However," his grey eyes stared firmly at her red ones. "You might regret this."

"I won't," Aloysia replied unfeelingly. "I won't." she repeated and sank her teeth into his shoulder.

The old man gasped in pain but asked again, "What if it is the wrong choice?"

"I'm not the one who's wrong. It's everyone else."

All the cells were empty but an arm, leg or head. Randall ran down the corridor, fearing for his life. Who was the irrational ghoul that escaped? It was a terrible sight. Something he never seen before. He had always deemed the detention center was a place where humans towered over the lowly beings of ghouls but this was entirely different. The sounds of other people screaming and the blood that littered the floor and painted the walls made him feel giddy. A petite figure was at a fair distance away. Her hair dragged on the floor, as white as snow. It reminded him of a bride, so beautiful. Just then, the figure turned gracefully in his direction and he expected pretty porcelain skin and delicate lips and gentle eyes.

She had porcelain skin and delicate lips. What was very unsettling was her eyes. Her whites had become black and her eyes were crimson red. Cracks ran from her eyes down her cheeks. A small smile showed a set of fine white teeth and her long, beautiful hands stretched out to him. Her smile was every bit attractive but as he got closer, he realized. It was the smile of outright madness. He gasped and fled, his footsteps thundering across the corridor. However, he was too slow. She caught up to him, her cold hand wrapped over his mouth and dragged him back. Shakily, he turned to meet her gaze. Unexpectedly, her gaze was soft, sad. Her crazy smile subsided to a thin, unsteady grin. He recognized her.

"Aloysia?" he whispered.

She smiled bitterly as a reply. He had grown attached to the young girl. She was a beautiful, touching and a depressed story. He had comforted her through her entire time in prison. However, he was not strong enough to stop the torture that was inflicted upon her. A pang of guilt stabbed him in the chest. She deserved to be angry. He glanced away.

"You do know that you would be hated for this, right?" he murmured.

"Yes," she replied quietly. "I'll remember you as the only officer that cared. Farewell, Officer Randall. Best if we don't ever meet again."

Those words swam in his mind. She deserved better and voice told him. Of course she does, he thought as a hard object rammed against the back of his head and he lost all consciousness.


	5. Come Back

'Seven hours ago, a ghoul had broken out from prison. Witnesses that had survived recounted that she had another kagume, also known as a kakuja, with tails that took the form of the scorpions' tails – only in a pair. She had been nicknamed as 'Scorpion'. She had taken many lives at the detention center, majority of the twenty thousand ghouls and five out of six officers dead or eaten. This dangerous ghoul was ranked as an SSS class a while ago. She –'

Touka switched off the café's television. A part of her wished that the ghoul was Aloysia but other did not want her to be. Aloysia, a murderer? She could not bear the thought of it. However, Aloysia had been in there for six years. She could have died. Touka cringed as her grip on the cleaned mug in her hands.

"T-Touka?" Kaneki peeked out from the staff door.

"Yeah?" Touka replied coolly.

"Was that the doing of a ghoul?"

"I take it that you are talking about the detention center. And yes," she muttered, completely not caring about his worries.

"Do ghouls… do that?" he asked timorously.

Touka paused before answering, "Not all. She was probably one of those uncivilized ones." She winced at the word uncivilized. Aloysia was never uncivilized. But then, she might not be her. Touka then felt a pang of irritation. Kaneki kept saying 'Ghoul' as though he was not one. He was one of them or is it because he was originally human? Touka refused to look at him as he passed her and opened the café doors. Touka frowned and glanced at the clock. She could see why he was opening the café. It was seven. She sighed, remembering the time when Aloysia was with her. The café was open twenty-four hours then but the manager, Yoshimura, declared that he was too old.

"I'm going back in," Touka told Kaneki and swiftly left via and staff door, squeezing past Yoshimura. She was down-cast. When was Aloysia ever like that? She would never be a murderer. Why did she think that? She entered the room, closing the door behind her. Her room was simple. A study table and a bed. Curtains framed the window, a large mat lay on the floor and a brown wardrobe beside the door. A small, cream brown coloured paper lay on the desk. It reminded her of Aloysia's hair. She had always admired Aloysia and wished she had Aloysia's hair colour instead of the ugly purple she had. She moved over to the desk and read the short note written neatly in cursive on it.

'I can no longer come home now. Thank you for everything. Hopefully we will never meet. If we do, please don't call my name. Please burn this letter once you have read it. Sorry. Regards, Aloysia.'

What? Touka read through the letter once again. She didn't know if she should smile or cry. Aloysia's the one that caused the tragedy. Aloysia's alive. Aloysia's a cannibal. Aloysia's a murderer. Aloysia's her friend. Tears slid down her cheeks. Touka never cried before in the past four years. She never felt this much pain before.

"Why does everyone have to leave…?" she whimpered, reaching for her lighter. Ashes flew everywhere and a few was caught in her hair. She slumped into her chair and tried to stop the tears. Just then, the door opened.

"Um, Touka? It's your shift…" It was Kaneki.

Touka remained quiet for a bit and hurriedly wiped away her tears. She did not want Kaneki to see her weakness. "I'll be out in a moment." Kaneki nodded and closed the door.

Touka had requested to do the night-shift alone. Not many people come at night so she had some time to clear her head. Cleaning up the café was all part of the night shift. Touka left the television as it was, switched to the news channel, and went to clean the tables with a grey rag. The rag was white. It had turned grey due to the dirt that was unable to wash away.

It reminded her about innocence. It started out white and darken as it was exposed to immorality. Touka fell into a chair, dazedly staring into space. She had been feeling sluggish for the past few days. Maybe it was because of Aloysia. Maybe it was because of worrying about Kaneki. Maybe it was because of loneliness. She began to rethink the mere three years they had shared. They spent almost every second together. Pretending how school might be, cooking random food items that humans would eat but end up throwing it away, drinking coffee to duplicate how adult behave… she had fun. She was really pure then, only thinking about having fun and being with company. After parting with her brother, she was desperate for attention, care and love. Did Aloysia feel the same? Was Aloysia as pure as she was then? Did Aloysia treasure their friendship? Then…

"Why have you not come back? Can't you see that I'll forgive you? Why can't you trust me?" Touka whispered to the depressed silence of the café.


	6. Curious

Aloysia made up her mind. She would never return to the café. How could she face them? Anteiku. They avoided killing people at all costs. She had violated their belief for peace. What made matters worse was that she became a cannibal. They would most definitely fear her. Even if they did accept her, she would put their lives at stake. It was too dangerous for her to be close to them. She was on the CCG's wanted list. Any contact with them would lead to their deaths.

Aloysia's gazed raked across the pretty beige marble floor. Odd enough, despite the fact that at that point of time she should, under no circumstances, trust anyone, she placed her faith in a young woman by the name of Chloe. Chloe was twenty and she was sixteen. Quite a fair age difference. Chloe was a ghoul as well. Saving Aloysia from danger twice and helping her get a mask along with offering her shelter in her home was indeed impressive.

"You aren't scared of me?" she could clearly remember herself asking.

Chloe laughed, and made Aloysia feel a whole lot stupider than she thought she was.

"I saved you twice, helped you, providing you shelter… do you think I'm scared of you if I did all of that?" she smiled. "Besides, I'm a SSS class too you know."

"I'm only SS," Aloysia replied.

"Nope. It was announced on the news. Why would you be on the wanted list if you're only SS?"

That made sense. Aloysia nodded solemnly. However, it did not feel right.

Aloysia eyed Chloe as she sauntered across the living room. She was too relaxed for Aloysia's liking. Was she not even a tiniest bit afraid of her?

"What channel would you like to watch?" Chloe looked down at Aloysia who was sitting on the floor by the couch with her legs drawn up to her chest.

"Its fine," Aloysia returned a tense smile before diverting her attention back to the floor once more. Aloysia was in the dark blue pullover hood and crisp white mini shorts Chloe had bought for her. The main purpose of them was to hide her eye-catching white hair and blend her into the crowd whenever she leaves the house. Honestly speaking, Aloysia found them comfortable and a good break from her blood stained clothes she wore most of her life besides those happiness filled three years. Strangely enough, Chloe was just like the Anteiku, not asking for anything in turn for her kindness.

'The hunt for 'The Scorpion' has finally simmered down as five months have passed since the tragedy and the first known ghoul cannibal in ten years. Large-scale search operations returned unfruitful and 'The Scorpion's' whereabouts are still unknown…'

Aloysia glared at the male reporter for a brief period before murmuring to Chloe, "Please switch to a different channel. I really dislike hearing news about me."

"Ah, then my apologies," Chloe immediately clicked a few buttons on the remote and a man eating fried and live scorpions appeared on the screen. Scorpions… Aloysia began to have goosebumps. "Do you want me to switch?" she asked.

"No thanks, this is fine," Aloysia replied. A man giving a review about the taste of scorpions was much better than talking about her. Either way, Aloysia's mind was too cluttered to listen to how delicious the scorpion tasted. What should she do now? With the CCG calming down for their crazed period of five months, was it safe enough for her to venture out? Or should she wait until everyone had forgotten about her existence like they always do with other 'villains'. Aloysia wanted to see Touka again. At most from afar. She would never approach her. Also, she heard about the boy that survived the collapse of the metal beams in the very café Touka was in as well. Aloysia's mind ached with curiosity. The corners of her mouth twitched uncomfortably.

Chloe giggled, making Aloysia raise an eyebrow.

"You thinking about that human boy again?" she smirked.

"It's not what you think," Aloysia spoke all too calmly. She was worried about the safety of her friends. Although surviving from having metal beams crushing him was cool but something was off. A thought struck her. "I'll be leaving for a bit," she muttered to Chloe and swiftly slipped past.

Chloe paused for a moment before wishing her good luck and not to get caught. Aloysia nodded and left the house. Track shoes were comfortable and all but wearing them was a hassle. Aloysia glared at the pair of messily tied shoes as she walked. She stopped abruptly at the front porch and hastily tucked in all the white strands of hair. She then pulled up her hood and walked casually onto the pavement. She slid her hand into the front pocket of her hoodie, ensuring that her mask was inside while eying a pair of investigators on the opposite pavement. Deciding she should keep her distance, she entered one of the alleys she knew best.

If her informative was not wrong, he was just behind the train station when the metal beams fell on him. Aloysia was sure that a ghoul had to be part of it. She sped up to a jog. This alley lead straight to the area behind the station. Bright yellow and black tapes marked out the cordoned off space. Aloysia peeked in, confirming there was no one before ducking beneath the tape and stood in front of the wreak. She could smell ghoul. Aloysia cautiously moved closer and noticed blood. She frowned. At that moment, she thought she should hide her face behind a mask and she hurriedly brought the black-coloured mask over her face. She then pulled on a pair of disposable surgeon gloves – she did not want anyone to find her fingerprints. She reached out and rubbed off some of the dried blood and sniffed it. A ghoul. Aloysia climbed in the center where most of the ghoul blood was.

Her eyes raked over the small space and something red and glistening caught her eye. An end of a tail was stabbed and ripped off. Aloysia scrambled to get a closer look. It resembled her own kagume. She remembered that her sort was rare but coming across another of her kind made her even more curious about that boy. What was he exactly?


	7. The Meeting, Chapter 6 half

Deciding that she spent too long a period of time there, she took a final glance and ran out. Fortunately no one saw her. She did not want to kill again. She continued to run but stopped shortly at a mustard coloured house. It was where she once lived. She began to wonder about her younger brother and how was his life. Anthony should be in Middle School.

Just then, the door clicked open, startling Aloysia into fleeing down the street. Aloysia kept running. Her stamina was fairly good and she ran along the route which she found familiar. The path lead to the café. Frightened like the first day she was here, she retreated into the shadows. She was sure that she could be seen from the entrance of the café but she felt safer at that distance. Tucking in a stray strand of white hair, she remained at that spot for another ten minutes before determining to walk past the café, keeping a fifteen meter distance. As she stepped past the entrance, the doors opened with the sound of bells. Aloysia did not understand why she had stopped in her tracks and why she was hoping to see her best friend again. That wish should never be permitted to her. She did not deserve to see her friends ever again. Nevertheless,

"Aloysia?"


	8. Her Brother

Aloysia spun around in response to her name being called. She knew the person was not Touka. The voice was much deeper and manlier. A lanky, tall boy stood before her, his brown-ember eyes softened into a more curious than otherwise suspicious he was a moment ago.

"It is you, sister," he sighed with a smile, revealing the row of neat, white teeth. Sister? Aloysia frowned. Anthony? Her eyes travelled from his disheveled dirty blonde hair to his fair complexion and his fairly broad shoulders. Indeed he had some characteristics that he and the young Anthony she knew shared but there was enough room for doubt. Just then, he stepped back.

"Hold on," Anthony rushed back in. He immediately saw Touka serving a customer and briskly walked up to her. Tapping her on the shoulder, he whispered in her ear, "My sister's outside. Better hurry. I think she might run off." Touka's eyes widened and placed the mugs of coffee on the table before walking away with him.

"Are you sure?"

"Her face was covered with a mask but I can recognize my own sister," Anthony retorted. Upon hearing that, Touka sped out of the café, hoping for at least a glimpse of her long lost best friend.

She bashed open the doors. "Aloysia!" she called. However, no one was in sight.

"Well, you sure do look out of breath," Chloe murmured amusedly. Aloysia muttered something under her breath, which sounded like 'Met your father' as she strode past where Chloe was lounging.

"By the way, my father's long dead," Chloe called after Aloysia, her eyes still glued to the television screen.

"I wasn't talking about your father!" Aloysia rounded on her, agitated. Realizing what she had done, she instantly calmed down and apologized.

"Oh, then whom were you muttering about?" Chloe raised an eyebrow, completely ignoring Aloysia's initial rude tone.

"My brother," Aloysia replied curtly.

"You have a brother?" Chloe questioned. Aloysia could not be bothered to answer that. "Well, is he cute?" Aloysia gave Chloe a weird look.

"He's younger than me."

"Ah, sad. I'm single you see," Chloe drawled, leaning back into the couch once more.

"So you were thinking of dating my brother?" Aloysia folded her arms in disgust.

"Why not?" Chloe sighed, playing with the remote. "After all, it would be much easier if you introduce me to him. Anyways, what about meeting your brother? Come, sit, have a cuppa," Chloe gestured towards the extra mug of coffee she had at the other end of the frosted glass coffee table. Aloysia obediently sat down and told the entire story to Chloe.

Though Aloysia was never a good storyteller, Chloe listened carefully throughout the long, draggy story. When Aloysia finally finished, Chloe smiled.

"You should see them one day."

"What?" Aloysia nearly spat her coffee out. "I beg your pardon?"

"You should see them one day," Chloe repeated. "After all, that boy is really interesting. I'm getting curious," she added darkly, sending shivers up Aloysia's spine. "Plus, I also want to see your brother. The name alone is rather handsome. What is his full name?"

Aloysia huffed in annoyance. "Edward Anthony Castlemaine, age thirteen. Good enough for you?"

"You guys aren't Japanese," Chloe said. Aloysia nodded. "Cool. Then where are you from?"

"England."

"Then why come here?" Chloe pressed.

"Who knows? Anyways, I plan on leaving this country and back to my home in London. Living here with all those ghoul investigators about is tiresome. I really despise it here," Aloysia took another sip from her mug.

"Oh?" Chloe leaned forward. "Or is it because of all the bad memories you made here?"

"No. Definitely not."

"Or because of the safety of your loved ones are at stake?"


	9. Threat

**Author's Note:**

**I sincerely apologise for the crappy previous version of this chapter. It had all the weird computer thingies and I think it was because of the system. Anyways, I have redone this chapter and I hope that nothing else funny happens to the following chapters. Thank you for reading!**

"If you really treasure your loved ones' safety, I suggest you stay." Chloe's voice rang clearly in Aloysia's mind. Why stay? She was the main threat to their safety. It was only right for her to leave. Aloysia rolled over and lay on her left, staring out of the window. Chloe's face was different then, when she said that sentence. Not the usual carefree and cumbersome person she knew. Of course, she had her scary sides but then was more creepy than fearsome. It was not natural. What did Chloe have to do with her loved ones' safety? Or was she threatening her? Aloysia, shocked by that idea, unceremoniously fell out of bed with a loud thud. Chloe was another SSS rank ghoul. She could easily collect all of their heads without much effort.

Aloysia brushed herself off and climbed back into bed. The odd thing was, Chloe would usually come round to check on Aloysia if she was okay after hearing the thump. Yet, she did not. Aloysia grew suspicious. Was Chloe too drunk to hear? Aloysia sighed. She had to stop Chloe's drinking habit. She shuffled out and into the living room but she did not hear the screeches of Chloe's drunken singing. Chloe was out. But it was near midnight. Why should she be out? The thought of Chloe threatening her loved ones' safety struck her again and Aloysia threw on a trench coat and hurried out, into the freezing night.

The wind battered her long hair in all directions, making her lose patience. Gesturing her anger for a moment by stamping her feet on the hard concrete, she calmed down and stuffed her Rapunzel like hair into her coat. She paused under the streetlamp, wondering desperately if she should confirm Chloe's whereabouts or find Touka and her brother. After a few long seconds, Aloysia ran off, to where Anteiku was.

The shop was closed. Anteiku was not open twenty-four hours anymore. Aloysia huffed in anxiety. She needed to see them safe and fast. Checking her surroundings, she ensured no one was nearby before running to the alley behind the shop. She then used her kagume to assist her in climbing the wall opposite. She peered into their windows. Only Yoshimura and Anthony were in and the other two rooms were empty – Touka and that boy. Aloysia dashed off. She had a feeling they were in danger. Aloysia hid her kagume as she ran down the path beside Kasahrara River where she heard shouts and heavy thumps. There was a fight taking place. Aloysia continued running. The fight was probably a little further away.

The fight was a lot closer than she thought. Aloysia stopped abruptly. Beside the river, a black-haired boy with a mask and an investigator were battling. Gasping in surprise, Aloysia stepped back before falling into a crouch, hiding behind a large tree which grew on the slope. Aloysia narrowed her eyes. The investigator was familiar. Anon? No, Amon. He was the investigator that saw her on the first day in prison. He was the one that told her about her death sentence. A shiver ran down her spine. He was a high-ranking officer. That ghoul fighting him was as good as dead. At that moment, the boy's kagume shot out from behind him. Four blood red tails. Just like hers. Was he that boy working in Anteiku? Aloysia leaned closer to the fence in an attempt to get a better view of him. His mask was rather freaky, a zip across the mouth like hers but in the form of teeth. Two bolts at his jawline and his right eye was covered with a black eyepatch.

The boy began screaming for the investigator to run for it. What in the world was he doing? Aloysia frowned, pushing herself up into a squatting position. If the investigator does leave that area, she would risk being seen. The boy cried out once more. A flicker of uncertainty passed the investigator's gaze. At this rate, she would be caught. Aloysia quickly slipped away. She recklessly slid down the grassy slope, wet by the rain, onto the pavement. Fortunately hardly anyone was around at night. She ran back in the direction she went by.

Stopping by a tree to catch her breath, she felt that she had ran a fair enough distance from them. However, was that really the boy? He was a lot gentler than she had made him out to be. Strangely, he was not the sort to be interested in devouring humans or violence for that matter. And only one eye… a half ghoul? Those sort were very rare. Yet, he seemed so human. He must have lead a human lift before.

"An artificial ghoul?" Aloysia muttered under her breath. Possible. After all –

"You okay, Kaneki?" A female voice sounded from the path on the slope. Aloysia was startled by the similarities Touka's voice and that voice shared. She then remembered the boy working with her. They might be investigator hunting like some ghouls do but that was also not very possible considering that boy's reluctance to battle. Fearful of being seen, Aloysia ran off like she always does, down the pavement.

Aloysia went home and found Chloe in the exact same spot watching television earlier that day.

"Where have you been?" Aloysia huffed, exhausted from her run, but was all serious when she asked.

"Looks like you have been trying to lose some weight," Chloe commented casually, ignoring the seriousness in Aloysia's tone.

"Answer my question!" Aloysia half-shouted at Chloe. She needed to know if Chloe was the one who initiated the fight between Touka and the boy, Kaneki, with the investigators.

"Out," Chloe answered vaguely, still munching on her biscuits. Aloysia was furious and desperate. If Chloe was the one threatening them, Aloysia needed to get rid of her.

"Fine," Aloysia muttered darkly, setting herself into the couch opposite Chloe. She had to approach her in a different manner. "How dangerous are you?"

"You don't want to know," Chloe replied, catching on to Aloysia's intentions and set the bowl on the table and righting herself in the couch.

"Then, answer honestly, who are you?" Aloysia hissed.

"Your friend."


	10. Conversation

Aloysia fell back into her chair. Then Chloe was not the one trying to injure them then. Fortunately. Aloysia watched Chloe as she took a sip from her coffee and munched on another handful of biscuits.

"Then do you have a clue on what happened out there?" Aloysia muttered.

"Of course I do!" Chloe exclaimed, bouncing into the couch, not a single sign of the serious moment that happened a while ago could be seen on her. She added ominously, "I know everything."

"Everything?" Aloysia questioned.

"About how the CCG works, the artificial ghoul named Kaneki, his surgeon, Touka and her brother, Anteiku, Ghoul restaurant and you," Chloe played with a pocky stick with her fingers.

Aloysia began to feel unsettled once more. Who was Chloe exactly?

"Just who are you?" Aloysia asked again on impulse.

"A person that knows everything," Chloe smiled, sipping her coffee again. "I'm smart too by the way."

"No, no," Aloysia shook her head tiredly. "Fine, just answer yes or no."

"Okay," Chloe nodded casually. "But take my words with a pinch of salt."

"Are you a threat?"

"No."

"Have you told a lie for the previous question?" Aloysia raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Chloe smirked, drinking all of her coffee. "After all, you are in no place to get information from me. But, however, there is something you deserve knowing."

"What is that?" Aloysia replied, growing more fearful of the person before her by the second. It felt as though the longer this conversation was, the more she did not know Chloe. She was like a stranger now. No longer that carefree idiot that knew what she was doing.

"Not everything is as it seems."

"And what does that mean?" Aloysia muttered.

"Where have you been all this while, Aloysia?"


	11. Thoughts

She thought she understood everything she needed to understand. Everything seemed rather clear to her. Touka was someone she had to hide from, Kaneki was of the same species as she was, Chloe was someone she should associate with yet keep a distance, and Anthony should be left to lead his own life.

Aloysia buried her head in her hands as she sat on the roof two blocks away from Anteiku. She was too afraid of Chloe to go back and was frightened of her past to confront the Anteiku. All she wanted was to lead a normal life like all those ignorant humans that walked the streets in their business suits. Women in skinny stilettos, men in ties, children in school uniform… Of course, the world was never fair. She wished that she could relive her life once more. Change the past. She would not leave the attic. Not meet Anteiku. Not get caught by the CCG. Not encounter Chloe. If she could just slip past everyone and not be noticed. If she could just disappear and become invisible from the world. The bloody scene of the detention centre was like a stick lodged in the back of her mind and every single time she remembers it, it would scratch. And scratch. And scratch. And scratch. And scratch. And scratch. And scratch. And scratch. And scratch. AND SCRATCH. AND SCRATCH. AND SCRATCH.

She could not take it. It felt like she was going mad. That memory was scraping away at her sanity. It was all so clear. Up to each blood splatter. Up to how fun it felt. She actually enjoyed it. Playing with their lives in the palm of her hand was surprisingly entertaining. Having released all her pent up rage against humans was rather gratifying. All that rage dissipated right after that incident. However, it only left to be accumulated once more. Why were they allowed to lead a normal life? Why were they the dominant race? Why do they despise ghouls? Yes, ghouls do eat humans but not all eat out of want. It was a necessity to survive.

Aloysia glared down at the two human children playing with a Frisbee in their backyard. Their smiles were so innocent. They were happy. Truly happy. Was it possible to feel truly, honestly happy like those dumb people you meet every day on the street, talking as if they got a clue what would happen in the future? Aloysia shifted her gaze away and rested on a purple-haired girl and a brown haired girl leave the café in school uniform. The purple haired girl looked so familiar. Aloysia leaned against the concrete ledge of the rooftop to get a closer look. She then recognised the violet eye and the long fringe. Touka.

Aloysia let out a sad chuckle and fell back on the concrete, staring up at the blue skies. She could not even remember her best friend's appearance. Her hand subconsciously went up to reach for her long white hair. She brought the strands in front and gazed at it for a moment before letting go and it dropped back beside her face. That other girl with brown hair, was she a replacement for the friend that went astray? For the friend that betrayed her? For the friend that left her behind? A small, depressed smile formed on Aloysia's lips.

"She is a good choice," she murmured weakly, trying to control the tears that were threatening to spill. At this rate, Touka would really forget her. But, it was for the best. At least Touka would not see her as she slowly loses control.


	12. The Eyepatch

Aloysia stayed on the rooftop for another month and a few weeks, absentmindedly watching Anteiku's front doors open and close repeatedly as customers bustled in and out. She never thought of doing anything else. Her mood was too down to do so. A few ghoul investigators caught her eye but nothing very significant. However, recently, a gang of ghouls had entered the shop when it was closing. She didn't know what happened inside but she saw Touka in the shop the following day so nothing serious must have happened.

'Please! Please! Stay away!'

A wail rang in her mind and the image of a distressed man screaming for mercy formed. Letting a groan of frustration, Aloysia began to rap her head in an attempt to stop the imagery. The cries of people continued, making her shut her eyes and covering her ears as she kneelt on the concrete. The voices carried on, as if tormenting her was a form of revenge. She had to occupy herself with something else. Aloysia sprang up and ran blindly down the flight of stairs, out onto the streets. She sustained her pace, darting about to avoid the crowd as she sprinted. The voices grew softer but the hollowness within her chest remained. Each pant seemed to echo in her ears as she ran. She felt relieved. Running helped. If only she could run all her life away.

However, she still felt lonely. There was a deep pit in her stomach that she could not explain in words. Exhausted, she began to slow to a halt beside a small bar. Someone inside caught her eye. A women in shoulder length brown hair in a small ponytail and pretty blue eyes. She didn't seem very young, perhaps in her forties. Her style of preppy, a crisp white blouse under a purple V-neck sweater and a pair of dark blue jeans.

Aloysia stayed for a little longer, trying to remember where she had seen her. The lady turned to face Aloysia, smiling brightly. Aloysia's breath hitched in her throat. She remembered. She was her mother.

"Oh! Do you want to come in?" she opened the door to Aloysia. Ah, she could not recognise her. Aloysia let out a weak smile and complied, awkwardly standing beside her. Aloysia's gaze travelled to her mother's hands. A scene struck her. Her mother carrying a long whip. Aloysia froze. This was the woman that tortured her.

"Sorry, I have to go," Aloysia murmured and brushed past her, out of the bar.

"Wait!" the lady called, following her out. Aloysia refused to stop, hurrying briskly down the pavement. "You seem very familiar! Who are you again?" she shouted after Aloysia. Aloysia shook her head and broke into a run. She did not know how to reply to her mother. If she told who she really was, her mother would definitely hiss and spit on her like how she was previously. Best for her not to recognise her own daughter.

Without much stamina left, Aloysia quickly tired out and darted into a nearby alley to rest. Her head began to throb painfully and the world started to spin. She leaned against the wall, panting heavily. She had been an idiot. Staying on the rooftop would have been a much better option. Just then, careful footsteps from beside her could been heard. She slowly turned to meet the person, glaring him in the eye. He was about a centimetre shorter than her with unruly white hair. Aloysia's glare began to waver when he stared back at her with a dumbfounded look on his face. His sole eye flickered from her face to her hands as though expecting an attack from her. His other eye was covered with an eyepatch with skulls on it. Was that in fashion?

Aloysia, upon sensing that he was no threat, stepped away to let him pass. However, he didn't. He continued to stare that her as though she was an exhibit. At that moment, he opened his mouth.

"Are you 'Scorpion'?" he asked straightforwardly.

Aloysia immediately stared him straight in the eye and replied whilst acting shocked, "No. Is 'Scorpion' still out on the streets? I thought you guys caught her!"

"We're not part of the CCG," he answered quickly.

"We?" Aloysia muttered, straightening up. Indeed, she realised upon sensing a slightly darker aura. He was a ghoul. Two others came up from behind her, blocking the way out from the alley. Feeling threatened, she pulled out her mask. It was a thing of hers. Wear the mask before releasing her kagume. Using her kagume, she leapt above the white haired youth. His eye narrowed.

"We're not here to cause any harm. From the looks of it, we startled you a little," he spoke, walking towards her. His gaze began to harden when his words only made Aloysia even more suspicious.

"Then answer me truthfully," Aloysia got up from her attack stance. "What are your names?" she learnt never to ask 'who are you' ever again. It was too vague. They could answer anything under the sun.

The young man smirked but relaxed. "If I tell you, would you tell me yours?"

"Naturally."

"Okay," he lifted his head to meet her gaze. "My name's Ken Kaneki."


	13. Recruiting

Kaneki! That boy! Aloysia frowned uncertainly. He did not seem like the boy she had been observing for the past month. White hair, black fingernails and a cold, unrelenting eye staring back at her. What happened?

"Elizabeth Castlemaine," Aloysia replied, refusing to give her first name until she knew him well enough. "What is your business here?" she asked, a little too coolly that she regretted it. That emotionless eye suddenly widened into an amicable smile.

"Recruiting," he answered cheerfully.

"What makes you think I'll follow you?" Aloysia muttered under her breath but something about him makes her feel inclined to know him better.

"Oh, I don't know…" he shrugged a little before looking up at her mysteriously, "Maybe because we have similar objectives."

"Having similar objectives does not mean that I would follow," Aloysia pointed out, folding her arms across her chest. She wanted to avoid making the same mistakes again. Losing her trust once caused enough damage. Chloe would most definitely use the information she had earlier to help with what sort of business she was doing.

"Non! Non!" the purple haired guy began to cry out. "No one goes against Kaneki's wishes!" Aloysia raised an eyebrow. Why did Kaneki even recruit this sort of people…? Feeling that she should end the conversation, Aloysia nodded to all three of them before taking a few steps back.

"I don't wish to follow you. Good day," she turned to leave, leaping up onto the rooftop and swiftly leaving the area of meeting whilst concealing her kagume. However, Kaneki was persistent. Aloysia, upon sensing he was still behind her, went faster and kept an eye on him. She began to run out of stamina. Being on the run for days and not eating for the past month had not helped. Aloysia then decided to face him instead. She halted and looked him in the eye.

"If I continue running, you'll just follow me, won't you?" Aloysia huffed.

"I don't give up that easily you know," Kaneki smiled happily, sending a spark of amused annoyance though Aloysia. Aloysia glanced around cautiously, taking note that he had left his subordinates behind.

"Looks like you have something to tell me," she perceived, leaning heavily against the concrete ledge.

"Or why would I leave myself with a dangerous ghoul like you?" he chuckled. Aloysia frowned. The only people that relaxed around her was him and Chloe. How peculiar. He was treating her like an equal.

"Okay, I'll listen to what you have to say," Aloysia sighed dejectedly.

"I'll only take a few seconds of your time," he grinned, making Aloysia glare back at him in irritation. What Aloysia failed to realised that what he was going to say would change everything. That it would continue to replay in her mind like the scene at the detention centre.

"You're selfish too, aren't you?"

There was a long pause. It was as though the entire earth stopped moving for a whole one minute. Aloysia never thought that way. She thought she was doing everyone a favour by disappearing, defeating the people at the detention centre and quietly sitting in a corner to let the rest of the world pass. She thought at disappearing would only cause pain to her maddening self and people would slowly forget her and replace her. All she would do was watch her existence gradually being erased from the face of this earth. 'Scorpion' would become a mere story that people laugh over.

"I…" Aloysia was at a loss of words. That never struck her. Because she was fearful of her past that she removed herself from the world. Because she was afraid of how Anteiku would confront her that she avoided them. Because she disliked the way she was treated back in the attic did she leave her little brother behind. Everyone suffered because of her.

"You never thought that, did you?" Kaneki laughed. "I never did as well. But," he rapped his head. "This opened my eyes. Of course, it would only consume me one day. Nevertheless," he moved a few paces closer to Aloysia's hunched figure. "Its only selfishness, isn't it?" he smiled. Aloysia did not reply. "This is why I told you we have the same objectives."

Aloysia looked up from the floor into his dark grey eyes with a deep frown. Objectives?

"Protecting those dear," he said cheerfully. Ah. She realised. If she were to protect Anteiku, she needed help. Humbling herself, Aloysia pushed herself off the support of the wall.

Taking a deep breath, she whispered,"I'll join you."


	14. Siblings

At that moment, Kaneki burst into a smiling fit, prancing around on the rooftop like a show pony. Aloysia watched on with a weird expression, maintaining a five metre distance between them. A minute had passed and he continued to smile like an idiot, pacing around Aloysia.

"Kaneki!" his two subordinates hurried towards him. Upon hearing them, Kaneki immediately calmed down into the cold and intimidating person Aloysia saw in the alley.

"Why are you here? I'm sure I asked for you two to remain in the alley," Kaneki muttered, taking his spot beside Aloysia.

"You took too long! We thought something happened!" the purple haired man fretted.

"Even so, I can handle it," Kaneki answered coldly. Aloysia then noticed that the man began to shiver in something similar to excitement which creeped her out a little. "She's with us now," Kaneki nodded in Aloysia's direction. Aloysia suddenly felt the need to clarify things a little and spoke,

"However, I'm loosely attached to this gang. I would not follow all orders," she muttered, and added, "But, you have my loyalty." As long as you don't misuse it, she further said in her mind.

Kaneki smiled at her before turning away and jumping off the ledge, down to the alley below. Aloysia and the others followed him out to the street, walking casually along. Careful not to let her identity slip, Aloysia tucked in every strand that sticked out.

"You don't have to you know," A rather muscular man with a beard in a strange curl, told her, making her look up in bewilderment. "They stopped the search for you. Besides, white hair is in fashion. Many others would be having white hair too." Aloysia nodded solemnly and shoved her hands into her pockets.

The rest of the trip was silent and after an hour of walking, they reached an apartment block. Kaneki lead them to one of the apartments. Aloysia looked around. It was rather spacious, much simpler than Chloe's but more welcoming.

"Brother! Who is that girl?" a young girl with, short, light brown hair came running out. Aloysia raised an eyebrow at why would Kaneki have such a small kid around but remained quiet.

"Oh, she's a friend," he grinned. Friend? Aloysia glanced at him to see his beaming face. All of his initial coldness was lost. Aloysia looked at the girl who was now standing a few metres from them. What was their relation? Siblings? However, from what Chloe said, Kaneki was the only child in his family.

Chloe. Chloe. The person who she had trusted and used her like a puppet, telling information about the people she knew. However, she was her friend, how could she be angry with her? She probably had her reasons behind why she did that. Perhaps she was threatened, perhaps she felt insecure.

Aloysia began to frown and the hollowness in her grew heavy. What was that hollowness? She could not find the source of it. Loneliness? Sadness? Inferiority? The voice in her head gradually became more and more sinister. Hissing the words in her mind. Or is it guilt? It rasped. Aloysia suddenly snapped back into the real world.

"Her name is Elizabeth," Kaneki introduced Aloysia. She was stunned for a moment but quickly smiled weakly to the young girl before them.

"Hinami," the girl replied. "My name's Hinami."

"Nice to meet you," Aloysia said sweetly and turned to look at Kaneki, wondering if she should sit. You're guilty aren't you? The voice rasped again, louder than it was before. Aloysia clenched her teeth. She had to control herself now that she was before everyone. Control. Control.

Just then, loud footsteps were heard as someone came down the stairs. Everyone carried on with their conversations besides Aloysia who was staring at the stairs, awaiting who was coming noisily down. A mess of dirty blonde hair. Brown eyes. A seemingly slight permeant blush on his cheeks and nose. Thin lips, white teeth. Anthony. Aloysia's breath was hitched in her throat, not knowing what to do. Why was Anthony here? With them? He's not supposed to be here! With these ghouls! Why is he here? They were in a gang he was never supposed to associate himself with! Anger began to bubble within her. He was supposed to stay safe! In addition, he's human! They could eat him any time!

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Aloysia burst out, shocking everybody. Aloysia stormed up to him and grabbing him by his collar, she forced him against the wall. "Why? This is not the place for you! You should be living a safe life with your parents!" she hissed.

"I can't!" he shouted back, pushing her away. "You don't understand!"

"Understand what?" Aloysia spat back. "I'm your older sister! Your safety is my responsibility!"

"It certainly doesn't look like it!"

"Doesn't look like what? When have I not been looking after you?" Aloysia cried furiously. "I have been watching you all this while!"

"THEN WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Anthony yelled. "Don't you know how long I have been waiting for you? To what extent have I searched for you? Yet you wait, hiding from me! Why?"

He was right. Aloysia knew about his plights. How lonely he was. However, it was difficult getting of her high-horse now that she was on it. "I was protecting you!" she screamed. "I didn't want you to be in contact with this side of the society! And you're here! Where you don't belong! You know this isn't right!"

"I deserve a place here!"

"Since when? You're mingling with us ghouls!" Aloysia shouted back.

"When does being a ghoul or human separate siblings? Is this where you draw the line?"

"We could eat you!"

"I can fight!"

"But you're human!"

"No," Anthony suddenly calmed down, staring solemnly at his sister. He finally understood. His sister was worried. It was not out of choice that she was avoiding him.

"What?" Anthony's composure had influenced Aloysia and she too calmed down a fair bit, her voice lowering into a whisper.

"I'm a ghoul, sis, not human," he chuckled as he shook his head.

"Not possible. You are human!" Aloysia took a step towards him.

"Nope. I was a slow developer. At the age of ten, I was becoming like a ghoul," Anthony shrugged. "I feared that if I was found out I would become like you. So I fled to Anteiku. When Kaneki said he wanted to leave Anteiku, I followed. I wished to find you sister, especially after I saw you a year ago, outside the café. I wanted to see you again," his serene tone slowly lowered into weak whimpers as he tried to control his tears.

Aloysia felt guilty. She had made her brother feel that way. She was truly selfish for avoiding him. Why didn't she notice? Unconsciously, she moved forward and brought him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Aloysia cried. She had hurt her own brother. Not physically but mentally. Mental injuries were the worst. He felt as lonely as she felt. Without a family to rely on. And, his sister, where was she? Where was she when he needed her help? She failed as a sister. And she had to change that.


End file.
